


Street Corner Coffee Shop

by whiplashcrash



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Human! Zeb, M/M, Sempaiko’s coffeeshop AU, mostly just fluff, soft boys being sweaty and working hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24575050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiplashcrash/pseuds/whiplashcrash
Summary: When Alex found that place on the street corner it was almost a miracle. Everything was exactly perfect, and Alex couldn't wait to show the first person he thought of. He only hoped it was as meaningful to Zeb as it was to him.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 17
Kudos: 45





	Street Corner Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sempaiko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempaiko/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Soy Triple Berry Passion Tea with Extra Vanilla](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421868) by [sempaiko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempaiko/pseuds/sempaiko). 



> Inspired by Sempaiko’s wonderful Kalluzeb Coffee Shop AU! Definitely go check it out, the fics and the art are to die for.
> 
> I wrote this like two and a half months ago when I first saw the art but never finished it, added a few words today and now it’s done! Hope you enjoy :)

It had started out as just something he did on the weekends and after work, as most things did. Still, he found more and more excuses to stop by. Like, for example, maybe on his lunch break he would bring a sandwich from his favorite sub shop when he knew Alex’s shift ended to catch him before he left. Once, he nearly swore, he saw those pretty eyes searching the street after he walked out of the ISB where he worked, standing still on the sidewalk despite the crowd. 

Zeb was running late, it seemed, hurrying down the street in the middle of the day with a sandwich shop bag in hand. A slight glisten in the late-winter’s sun revealed he’d likely come straight from work, and Alex fought the urge not to blush. It was their unofficial promise, that they would meetup on the days Alex worked in the morning. 

Not too subtle schedule side by side comparisons had shown their lunchtimes lined up quite nicely (although, he suspected, Zeb’s schedule had changed slightly around that time so he suddenly had a later lunch than he’d been having before) a convenience Alex was not keen on taking for granted. 

“Hey, Alex,” Zeb grinned, skidding to a halt by where the barista stood. 

“Hi, Zeb,” he chuckled at his- at Zeb’s very _Zeb-like_ arrival. They walked down the side of the street without hesitation, Alex’s thumbs tucked into his pockets as he looked from his comfy jeans to Zeb’s handsome animated face. 

“Sorry I’m late, Hera asked for my help with something over at the gym, and there was a bit of a line at Sam’s, but I thought I'd make it, and then my phone was dead, so I couldn’t text you that I was running late.” Came the explanation that did not even remotely sound like he was out of breath despite the fact he’d been exerting himself. If that wasn’t hot, he didn’t know what was.

“It’s fine, I ended up staying a little bit later to help out with the early lunchtime rush,” he said with a shrug. “Figured you would get here and we’d leave together.”

Zeb’s somehow wider ear to ear grin prompted a similar smile on Alex’s face. It was impossible to look at this man and not want to smile like a lovesick fool all of the time. “Oh, where to? The park?”

“Actually, it’s a bit further, to be honest,” he looked embarrassed. “I’m hoping to show you something, if you’re willing.”

Zeb wrinkled an eyebrow, but looked at him playfully. “Oh, and what is it you’re hoping to show me?”

He looked sheepishly up at the mischievous man in front of him, blond hair brushing his face after escaping from behind his ear. “Can I surprise you? It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

“You’re always worth it,” Zeb said automatically. Alex waited for him to look like he regretted. He didn’t, and Alex blushed, wishing he could hide beneath a countertop under the guise that he was getting something from below. Out in the open, that wasn’t exactly an option, so he settled for talking about Zeb’s work, asking about Hera and Kanan, trainees, how Zeb’s sessions were going. 

Every time he caught the man fishing for clues, Alex gave him a stern look that always split into a goofy smile when Zeb would make him laugh. “You’re too pretty for me to give you frown lines,” he’d said when Alex asked him why he was so insistent on bringing at least a smile to his face after Zeb had asked where they were going.

“We’re almost there, I promise,” Alex said, nervousness growing. “I know you’re probably hungry, and cold, and your feet are tired,” the list of excuses as to why Zeb would grow fed up with him came to him more naturally than blushing around him.

Stopping him on the street corner, Zeb shook his head. A softer gentler smile Alex could see in his eyes came to the surface, and he took Alex’s face in one hand to gaze into those amber eyes. “Alex, it’s fine. You should give yourself more credit. I’m glad I’m here with you, okay?”

And there went that little monster named self-loathing, fleeing with its tail between its legs. He nodded, but not quite ready to lose the touch that made him want to close his eyes and lean into this man’s warmth, Alex snuck his own smaller hand over Zeb’s. “Just down the street,” he said. His heart beat harder, self-consciousness rising.

 _This was stupid, I’m an idiot. What if he hates it? What if he thinks its weird or crazy or stupid?_ His thoughts raced, even while Zeb squeezed his hand to look at him with that same genuine smile. Alex looked both ways briefly, running hand-in-hand with Zeb across the street in the gap between traffic until they were standing side by side on the corner he’d stumbled across. 

“What’s this?” he asked, looking back and forth at the shops on either side of them, before he saw the “for lease” sign in the window, and it clicked. Alex held up a small key on his lanyard that jangled freely once he stuck it in the lock and twisted, the door swinging open with a creak. 

The two of them stepped into the large open space, Zeb’s smile falling away as he inspected every inch of the room. His grip relaxed and he took a few steps deeper into the room, under one of the skylights that parted the ceiling for the sun. Alex stood where Zeb had walked away from, tracing his shoe in the pile of sawdust at his feet. It was a different kind of vulnerability, he realized, to be so open with something that had all the potential but with none of the actual fruits of his labor just yet.

It was not what he’d expected. While the outside was charming enough, he realized the inside left much to be desired. Piles of wood paneling and trash bags in a corner were a bit of a put off, as was the cracked, chipped countertop shoved against one wall, a few half-broken chairs on their sides here and there across the cracked and stained wood floor. He saw what was clearly water damage, sheetrock crumbling, paint peeling, and was that a hole in the wall?

Yet, Zeb realized, it was incredible. Beautiful glass pane windows from floor to ceiling on both walls along the streetside warmed the space. For a moment, he could see it. Maybe not the same way Alex could, but he could breathe in the dusty air and just see Alex’s dream coming to fruition.

“I know it isn’t much. The last store that was here… I guess had a bit of trouble with some things, maybe a few more than they told their landlord, so I got it at a much lower rate than I would have otherwise,” Alex fiddled with his thumbs in his pockets; hopeful eyes looked up from underneath a touch of shyness. “Considering the location, and the fact that it’s close to where you work means I’d get to see you more, was also a major bonus, it’s really quite reasonable.”

Zeb turned around, and beamed. He hurried back over and lifted Alex off of his feet to kiss him. Those hands, damn those hands, were sneaking across his hair. Relief washed over him; Zeb liked it. Alex laughed into those sweet kisses while Zeb returned the favor. They were two goofballs, laughing and unable to stop staring into each other’s eyes, while still somehow managing to keep up a steady stream of less than g-rated kissing, Alex easily being hoisted up completely by Zeb. 

Eventually though, a question came to mind and as much as he would’ve preferred otherwise, Zeb let Alex down onto his feet again, even if they were still pressed up against one another. “Why are you showing me, though? I mean, I’m excited for you, don’t get me wrong, but what- what does this mean?” 

He hesitated, knowing that despite how wonderful Zeb had proven himself over and over again, he was bracing himself for rejection. “Well, I know I’ve been seeing you entirely exclusively, and I assume it’s been the same for you in terms of me,” Zeb nodded in confirmation. “And it’s been two or so months, of just you and me,” _Oh, that was earth-shatteringly brilliant_ , he scolded himself. “And, I don’t know about you, but I really like where things are going with this thing between us.”

Zeb saw him blushing, shit, he was redder than a berry passion tea. “Are you asking if I’ll be your boyfriend?” Zeb said, unable to help his teasing tone. “Because if you are, I’m gonna be honest, you don’t have to ask like you’re a shy schoolboy. You could just call me boyfriend, partner, whatever makes you happy, and see how it goes?

“Well,” Alex flushed. “I didn’t mean to just assume, or ask you like we’re two children on a playground, but if it makes you more comfortable, I can see why mocking me might be easier than saying no.”  
  


At that, Alex began to pull away, hands slipping from Zeb’s, only to receive a squeeze and a small tug on Zeb’s part. His brown-dusted eyes lifted their gaze from the floor and Alex looked back up at Zeb. Zeb, who found himself just as tongue-tied and flustered as Alex was.   
  


“Hey- no, that’s not- agh I’m sorry,” Zeb mumbled. “I’m not too great with feelings and words and all that. Should’ve known better than to tease you.”

Alex nodded. He opened himself up, Zeb could see, but imperceptibly trembled in his arms at the fear of rejection racing through his body. “That’s not what you meant, then?”

Zeb decided to banish those fears and leaned down to whisper close to those red ears. “No. Not at all. I’d be the happiest guy in the world if I was yours, boyfriend or otherwise.” he said, hand sneaking down to scratch over the back the now less-tucked-in shirt Alex was wearing.

Alex cleared his throat, and nodded, offering a smile that carried no shortage of relief up for Zeb to see. “So do you like it?” He asked, gesturing at the large open room. Zeb grinned down at Alex and pressed his mouth briefly to the corner of Alex’s brow. 

“I love it.” Zeb grinned. “I’ll get to come see you lots, then, right? Support the local businesses and have an excuse to check on you?”

Alex smiled. “Yeah, if you like. Since you’re my boyfriend, after all.” Giddiness coursed through his body, a thrill unlike any other crackling in his chest. _Boyfriend. Zeb is my boyfriend._ He sighed, bliss-stricken face enough to encourage Zeb to kiss him again. Yeah, that was just perfect.

* * *

“Zeb, I’m starving,” Alex reached for the sandwich in his boyfriend’s hand, but wasn’t quite as tall, and couldn’t reach it. “Zeb, come on.”

“You can’t just dine and ditch, babe. Gotta pay the bill.”

“Now?”

“When else?” 

“Ugh,” he rolled his eyes, but kissed Zeb anyways. With a delighted hum, Zeb lowered his arms to wrap around his now captured prey. Unbeknownst to him, Alex put one hand on the back of Zeb’s head, but the other snuck around, searching for that tell-tale, ah-ha! There it was.

He snatched the sub from Zeb’s hand and backed away, cackling with that mischievous look in his eye Zeb usually wore. “Hey! That’s cheating!”

Taking a decent bite out of the sandwich, Alex shrugged. “Learned it from you!” 

“Not fair,” Zeb pouted. He’d made off with the sandwich and a kiss. Alex was turning into a real live bandit. “You owe me at least one more for tricking me!”

Alex snorted, mid-bite, one hand over his mouth. “You know,” he paused to swallow the sub he’d commandeered. “I think that can be arranged.”

Zeb snickered, but was very much glad when Alex indulged him for a longer deeper kiss. It was very deliberate on his part; a languid motion bringing a kind of happiness he had not felt very often before meeting Alex. It was something he experienced quite often over the past couple of days with his boyfriend. 

Although Alex had insisted it wasn’t necessary, Zeb had insisted that it was his responsibility to be there for him as he stepped out into the unknown. “Your dreams are my dreams, Alex.” He’d planned to take a whole month off to help, but Alex had given him a counteroffer: two weeks of just them, and then they would work to actually pay rent and eat, and meet up at their project whenever they had time. 

Alex had also given him a key. “It’s just more convenient,” he’d explained with a blush after Zeb had come up with a dozen jokes about getting a key to his place. He was grateful, and there had been some laughter between less innocent kisses when he’d gotten his hands on Alex. 

While not chaste, their lip lock didn’t go too far, and Alex sat down in one of the chairs left over from the last tenant’s mess that they’d decided to keep out of convenience if nothing else. Zeb sat down opposite him, and his chair wobbled. It didn’t seem happy about holding him up, but he would be fine. 

“One strawberry mango smoothie,” he offered the pink-ish drink out to Alex. “And a cookies and cream shake for me.”

Alex took the drink and sipped with a sly smile. “Honestly.” he waved the drink in his hand as he spoke. “I don’t know how you’re so in shape if you’re eating just milkshakes and sandwiches all the time.”

Zeb shrugged, but drank his shake happily. “Being lazy these past couple of days, but it’s not like you see my breakfast before I get here, so I could probably just spoon feed myself a green smoothie and you wouldn’t even know.” 

He gave Zeb a look, challenging him to prove it. “Oh, really? So, you hating my drink was just a one off thing, was it?”

He shook his head, a horrified scrunching up of his nose following. “God, no. Never. That, babe, takes one hell of a gut to stomach. MREs don’t even come close to that gross weird nasty shit.”

“I thought beggars couldn’t be choosers.”

“I’m not gonna be the one begging.”

“So,” he took another longer sip of the smoothie. “You won’t be kissing me for a while after I drink this?” Alex pouted.

Eyebrows raised with a lewd smile across his face, Zeb leaned back and crossed his arms over the stained white t-shirt he was wearing. “Not there, I won’t.”

Alex had to cover his mouth and set the drink down as he coughed. “Zeb!” He laughed, shaking his head and staring up at the smirking man who didn’t look the least bit bothered. “We’re surrounded by windows!”

“Makes it more exciting,” he leaned forward to match Alex’s posture. “Who knows? Might bring you some early press,”

“Not here!” He hissed, but dammit, his _ears_ were blushing. 

“Maybe not here,” Zeb agreed reluctantly, but his eyes didn’t look all that defeated.

Alex searched for any telltale sign to let him know what Zeb was thinking, but eventually gave up. “What?” he asked, looking around the room. 

“Nothing, just _thinking_ ,” he said. Alex had an inkling or two as to what it was Zeb was just thinking about only by the tone of his voice, even if he wasn’t grinning like the cheshire cat. Still, he blushed. Damn, this man made him all kinds of out of sorts in ways he’d never anticipated.

“About?” He asked, bracing himself for the dirtiest thing he could possibly imagine. Zeb’s line of thought, he realized soon enough, likely went in a little more exotic direction than his own. 

To his surprise, Zeb’s smile turned soft. He’d never seen it that way around anyone else, something that the big burly man with the reputation of a badass he was clearly hellbent on preserving offered up to him. “How wonderful you are.”

If he wasn’t blushing before, he was positive his entire face matched the color of his smoothie when Zeb leaned over and kissed him despite the awfulness he’d complained about, abandoning his chair and coming very close to Alex, enough that the sturdier of the two little chairs squeaked. Alex didn’t mind, and was happy enough to let Zeb kiss him, and probably a whole lot more, in that big open space without a care in the world about the windows on the street.

* * *

Alex pulled his mask off and threw his head back, sweat coating his entire body. White smears of sheetrock mud were all across his hands and crusted into his hair. A little metal putty knife in his hands looked like it had seen much better days, too, he thought with a chuckle. His work, however, was flawless. The wall looked phenomenal; it was large-gaping-hole-free, and ready for painting whatever color he desired, which he reminded himself, had yet to be determined. 

He looked around the big empty room with a sigh. Zeb had gone back to work, it was a monday, and his two weeks were up, but Alex had been able to come straight to the construction site after his morning shift. The room felt empty without Zeb’s raucous laughter and he was getting tired quickly despite not having to be on his toes to avoid smears of paint on his nose. 

It was a shame, he realized. There was usually some kind of thing in his hair that had come off of Zeb’s fingers, fingers that wove into his blond locks whenever Zeb _really_ kissed him. He’d have to wash his hair despite it being without any accidental (or maybe not so unintentional) Zeb addition to remind him of his boyfriend after going home. 

Maybe he could grab something at the cafe down the street a ways, he’d seen it was a fairly popular venue, and it wouldn’t hurt to see what was in the area. Although, he looked down at what he was wearing and sighed, maybe not his best bet considering the state of his working clothes. 

“Might as well,” he said, putting down the tool and snatching his water bottle off the counter. The water was ice cold, and would’ve given him a headache if he wasn’t so freaking thirsty and hot. He was a little too sweaty, too, Alex realized, pulling the bottom of his shirt up to rub his face off. 

An appreciative whistle came from behind him, and he jumped. “Hot damn!” Zeb said appreciatively, arms crossed as he leaned against a wall. 

The blond relaxed, the tension in his body slipping away at the sight of him. “Zeb.” He laughed, all too happy to move across the room for a very appreciative kiss, too. “Hi.”

“Hey, there,” Zeb replied. “You might just be the hottest damn thing I’ve seen in my life, you know that?”

Alex laughed again, he just was so happy to see Zeb, not realizing how much he’d missed him. “You know, you’re not exactly sore on the eyes, either, mister ‘I’m-a-piece-of-fine-personal-trainer-in-a-sweaty-gym-with-big-hot-muscles,’ but that could just be my own personal bias talking.”

He snorted, but kissed his boyfriend again; he’d missed Alex a lot, in all honesty. “Could be you have something in common with me.” He winked. “Probably just have impeccable taste.”

Rolling his eyes, Alex was ready to scoff at the overly sappy man holding him, but didn’t. He was so freaking hot, the last thing he wanted to do was be nearly smothered by a big warm person, and yet, it was the only thing he wanted. His arms stayed wrapped firmly around Zeb and he sighed. This was perfect.

“You know, I have a surprise for you this time,” Zeb said playfully. 

“Oh, do you now?” Alex asked, half still in a trance with his face in Zeb’s shirt.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Show me?” Alex’s dreamy eyes looked up at Zeb. If that made him feel like he was the best boyfriend in the world, he didn’t know how he’d feel after what he had in mind. 

Zeb nodded, and began to drag Alex through the construction site, away from the front doors and across the room. The two of them stepped over boards, tools, cans of paint and a few pieces of nonsense. Alex tripped, stumbling over a pile of old wooden flooring panels with a surprised yelp, but he did not hit the floor. Zeb caught him.

Alex might’ve been embarrassed if not for the excuse for Zeb’s touch to linger even before he left Zeb’s arms.

“Hey,” Zeb said, pulling Alex up to stand on his own two feet as if they’d intentionally gone into a dip on the Sheetrock-dust-covered dance floor. “Be more careful with my boyfriend, alright?”

Alex blushed under the slightly concerned but more than anything else adoring eyes of his boyfriend, and nodded. “I can try my best. But there are no guarantees.”

Zeb put on a thoughtful expression, and even if Alex could see the playful look in his eyes, it still surprised him when Zeb spoke. “Well, that just doesn’t work for me.” 

Alex, still in the grasp of Zeb’s arms, tried to go along with (what Alex was pretty sure was) Zeb’s banter. “What do you- holy crap- Zeb!” 

Zeb paid him no heed, and scooped Alex up so that his legs were on either side of Zeb’s hips and his arms were wrapped around those muscle-rippled shoulders. “Much better. Got to keep you in one piece.”

“Zeb! I _can_ walk, you know.” Alex said, even if it sent a thrill through his spine to be held up like he weighed nothing. Looking down into Zeb’s eyes was a new experience altogether, and he was grateful for the higher ceilings that prevented him from putting a dent in either his skull or said ceiling.

“Yeah,” Zeb snorted. “I saw that.”

“I only tripped,” Alex reminded Zeb, even as he began to tread across the room with his hands snaked underneath Alex’s thighs. “I’m just fine, thanks to you.

“I know. So be quiet and let me work my magic, alright?”

Alex blushed suspecting he knew exactly what kind of _magic_ Zeb was referring to, although he could never be quite sure. “If you really want me to, I will.”

“I do,” Zeb said, bending his knees to get closer to the ground as he arrived at the back door into the kitchen-ette area. “Now, close your eyes.” 

Alex rolled said eyes, but kissed Zeb for a fraction of a second and let himself close his eyes. “Alright, what’s next?”

“Hold on,” Zeb instructed.

Alex felt his weight shift in Zeb’s arms, and his fingers snatched the back of Zeb’s hoodie where they’d been resting. He knew logically Zeb wouldn’t drop him, but something about the loss of feeling Zeb’s hand under one thigh as his other arm snaked under both of Alex’s was enough to make him jumpy.

“I’ve got you, I promise.” Zeb’s soothing voice came. 

Alex was fairly sure he smiled, even if he couldn’t see Zeb. “I trust you.”

The door’s latch clicked and Alex assumed they ducked through it, although he couldn’t tell because he didn’t feel so much as a ruffle of the hair on the top of his head. It closed behind them, and he felt both hands grasp his thighs again. Fingers that had loosened their grip on Zeb’s hoodie tightened again and Zeb chuckled. 

“Almost there,” Zeb said, as Alex felt them start walking again. “Hold on a little bit longer, babe.”

 _Zeb’s certainly outdoing himself this time._ Alex thought, and sighed, unable to shake that same smile Zeb managed to wrangle from him again and again. “I think I can do that. Just don’t drop me.”

A soft kiss to the corner of Alex’s mouth accompanied the heart-warming promise: “Never.”

Through the maze of boxes and assorted pallets and trash bags in the back room, Zeb brought them to what Alex highly suspected was the back door, where the steps led down into the space behind the stores. 

The faint spring breeze and smell of fresh air confirmed as much.

“I’m going to put you down now, and when I say, I want you to open your eyes, alright?” Zeb asked. 

As much as Alex would’ve preferred to never leave those arms, he nodded. “Alright.”

“Okay, hold on to me, I’m going to let you down, now,” Zeb said. True to his word, Alex felt his beat up sneakers scrape across the bottom of the tile floor beneath them, and let his knees bend, even if his bad one protested the movement a little. Zeb was gentle enough it didn’t matter.

Alex’s fingers let go of where they were twisting Zeb’s hoodie, and he let his hands slide from Zeb’s back over his shoulders and grasp at where the zipper would have pulled the two sides together. “Thanks.”

“You okay?”

Alex nodded. “Yes:”

“Okay, that’s good. Now,” Zeb placed his hands on Alex’s shoulders, and applied the slightest pressure. Enough to guide Alex, but not enough to push him around. “Turn this way.”

Alex obliged, although he missed the massive hands placed on him as soon as Zeb withdrew. 

Alex could hear the huge smile on Zeb’s face. “Okay, open your eyes.”

The first thing Alex saw was in fact, the back door, open, with the steps down to where the dumpsters lurked. He took some pride in the fact knowing that he’d been right. 

What he saw at his feet however, stunned him. It was a large blanket, placed on the floor by the open door and had an assortment of foods and beverages, along with what Alex suspected was a really nice bottle of wine. The two wine glasses supported that conclusion. What’s more was there was a small but not insignificant addition of chocolate and strawberries, something Alex swore he’d only ever mentioned once over a month before, but somehow, Zeb had remembered.

“Oh, Zeb,” Alex sighed with a blissful breath. “This is wonderful. _You’re_ wonderful.”

Zeb’s arms returned and Alex felt the man press up behind him burying his face in Alex’s neck and pulling Alex back into Zeb’s body with the arms slinked around his waist. 

“So you like it?” Zeb breathed against Alex’s ear, the tickling of warm air offering him a rush of heat that did not come from the warm man behind him.

“I love it,” Alex said just as softly. “I truly, completely love it.”

“Good, it was hard sneaking around back here with you in there all afternoon. Wanted it to be worth the wait. I missed you today,”

“I really missed you, too,” Alex confessed, turning his head to look up at Zeb and kiss him at that odd but endearing angle. 

“How about you sit down and tell me how much you missed me, then?” Zeb offered, voice dropping to a sultry purr. “And then when I get the chance, I’ll show you how much I missed you.”

The promise was enough to send an involuntary meld of a whimper and a squeak out from Alex’s lips. “I think I’d like that.”

“Good,” Zeb kissed the side of his head where his free-flowing blond hair fell into his face. “Now, I bet you’re really hungry after all that work you got done today. I'm going to take very good care of you.”

Alex nodded, not at all disappointed when Zeb turned him around to kiss him properly at the top of those stairs. Alex caught himself relishing in the feeling of the refreshing spring breeze, the warmth that came from every inch of Zeb while in his arms, and the hoodie Alex couldn’t seem to grab enough fistfuls of. And it truly was wonderful.


End file.
